California-based accessory dwelling unit (ADU) startup Samara has secured $34 million in Series B funding led by Thrive Capital, marking a significant milestone in the company’s rapid growth. Originally incubated within Airbnb before spinning out in 2022, Samara is now positioning itself as a key player in addressing California’s housing shortage by offering prefabricated, high-quality backyard homes — and is now signaling expansion into the multifamily market.
The fresh capital infusion comes on the heels of major momentum: Samara has surpassed $100 million in total project value, opened a second manufacturing facility adding 200,000 square feet to its production footprint, and activated projects in 45 cities across California. With this expanded capacity, the company is ramping up production to meet growing demand fueled by supportive state legislation.
“Propelled by state legislation that makes it easier to add new housing units, we’re scaling our operations to deliver high-quality solutions for not just homeowners, but also multifamily property owners – an increasingly important audience for us,” said Samara CEO Mike McNamara.
Samara’s roots in Airbnb have helped it maintain a design-forward, scalable approach to ADU construction, focusing on sustainability, simplicity, and speed. The company’s announcement also follows a social impact partnership with Steadfast LA to donate 80 to 100 ADUs to wildfire victims in the Los Angeles area — further reinforcing its mission-driven ethos.
Samara’s trajectory coincides with sweeping policy shifts in California aimed at accelerating housing development. Governor Gavin Newsom has signed numerous bills to ease ADU development in recent years, including a mandate for cities to allow ADUs by right. Most recently, state lawmakers amended the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) to exempt infill housing projects from environmental review, removing one of the largest barriers to construction.
The state’s streamlined regulatory environment is drawing capital and innovation into the space. In addition to Samara’s Series B, Reframe Systems, another prefab housing startup, raised $20 million in Series A funding last month.
With this latest round led by Thrive Capital and continued support from Airbnb, Samara appears well-positioned to scale as both a housing solution provider and a potential disruptor in multifamily development — tapping into a broader range of property owners looking to adapt to shifting housing needs.
